Apple and Samsung are just two of the major companies that were identified as obtaining minerals for device batteries from mines that employ young children in Africa. Human rights group Amnesty International said in a new report that these young children are paid nearly nothing and have to work long hours.

Amnesty International indicated that Apple, Samsung and other companies failed to ensure that the minerals that they receive for their products were not coming from mines that employ children as young as 7 years old, CNet reports.

The group reported on Tuesday that the mines in question produce cobalt, an important component that is used in lithium batteries in smartphones and other devices.

"Millions of people enjoy the benefits of new technologies but rarely ask how they are made," Mark Dummett, business and human rights researcher at Amnesty, said in a press release. "It is high time the big brands took some responsibility for the mining of the raw materials that make their lucrative products."

Amnesty International also listed Sony, Microsoft, LG Chem, Huawei, Dell, HP, ZTE, Vodafone and Daimler as companies who may be receiving minerals from mines that employ young children.

Zero Tolerance Policies

Apple, Samsung and Sony all said they have zero-tolerance policies regarding child labor. The companies also claimed they conduct frequent checks on their suppliers to make sure the policy is followed.

The technology industry is so competitive that companies often use materials, manufacturers and components from all over the world. Amnesty International said that these companies are not policing their suppliers well enough against poor work conditions.

Reputation Killers

Accusations of child labor and poor work conditions can significantly hurt a company's reputation. Nike's brand was hurt when reports of children working in sweat shops surfaced in the 1990s. Apple has also been criticized for forcing its workers in China to work extremely long hours at the Foxconn plant where iPhones are made.

Amnesty International's report focused on problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where half of the world's cobalt comes from. UNICEF estimated that about 40,000 children work in the mines under dangerous conditions.

According to the report, work conditions in the mines led to the deaths of 80 miners between September 2014 and December 2015. The workers that survive work long shifts in cramped spaces. They are exposed to environments that can cause life-long health problems and they carry heavy loads. Children report making only $1 or $2 per day.

Amnesty International said that none of these major companies traced the origin of the cobalt they received for their lithium-ion batteries, despite any claims of zero-tolerance policies on child labor.

Companies Unable to Verify Source of Minerals

Samsung said if they find any instances of child labor, they end their contracts with the supplier. The company added it does not allow the use of minerals from areas like Congo, but some suppliers do not disclose the original source of materials, making it impossible to verify the work conditions of mineral producers.

Apple reported it strictly prohibits underage labor by its suppliers. If a supplier is found to be using underage workers, Apple said it forces the supplier to pay the underage individuals the correct amount of money they are owed, help them return to their homes, pay for their education and offer them jobs when they are of legal age.

Amnesty International also criticized suppliers and the their governments for not tracking the sources of minerals going to major tech companies.

"Without laws that require companies to check and publicly disclose information about where they source minerals and their suppliers, companies can continue to benefit from human rights abuses," Dummett said. "Governments must put an end to this lack of transparency, which allows companies to profit from misery."

Related